It looks as if a third pair of Grey Herons is following the example of the first two pairs which are now sitting on eggs. They were standing side by side in a nest in the middle of the island. This is the first time I've seen so much activity here so early -- previously most of them have idled around till spring or even summer.
The heron in the east nest could be seen sitting ...
... and I'm sure the one in the high nest was there, though when it settles down it can't be seen from the ground.
There are a lot of herons at the moment. Three more were at the island ...
... and one was scratching its chin on a rail at the Lido.
I gave a young Herring Gull a conker from an Indian horse chestnut which I picked up by the Serpentine Gallery. Unlike ordinary conkers these are perfectly round and roll beautifully, just the kind of toy a gull likes most.
But no sooner had the gull brought it ashore and started rolling it around than another gull swooped down and snatched the toy, so I didn't get a usable video. I will pick up more of these conkers and have another try.
A Black-Headed Gull had found a bit of red cabbage from a salad and was intrigued by its bright colour. After careful examination the gull decided it was edible, and down it went.
Pigeon Eater was pretending to be asleep. It didn't fool the wary Feral Pigeons, which stayed at a safe distance.
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A marbled pigeon stood on the streaked marble bowl of the Huntress fountain in the Rose Garden.
The male Chaffinch had come out of the shrubbery and was waiting in the rose beds.
So was a Coal Tit.
I gave it a pine nut which it ate, wiped its beak on a twig, and flew away.
The two Robins at Mount Gate which were on such friendly terms yesterday had retreated to opposite sides on the path and singing fiercely at each other. In fact, back to normal.
Jays came out all round the Long Water. This one was in the leaf yard.
A Magpie waited in a tree near the bridge.
A Great Crested Grebe preening on the Long Water was at the halfway stage of replacing its plain monochrome winter plumage with its breeding finery.
Three Red-Crested Pochards could be seen at the Vista ...
... along with the usual Common Pochards, of which there are still a great number.
No wonder the pigeons weren't fooled. His distinctive dinosaur's eye is so visible, even from a distance.
ReplyDeleteDid you throw the conker to the gull so that it picked it up? Or did it take it from your hand? I hope it was properly grateful, even if the other envious fellow had to rain on its parade.
"Down it went" is probably the best and most appropriate descriptor for anything concerning gulls' behaviour.
So the early nesting heron mystery deepens. I was only half joking when I said that birds had caught the unseasonable blooming bug from plants.
Tinúviel
Yes, I did throw the conker on the ground in the gull's general direction, not too near but just so it would notice. Perhaps surprisingly it took at at once and went into the water to examine it before bringing it ashore again. This trick may not work again, but I'll try.
ReplyDeleteAll the herons in Battersea Park nest in synchrony, which never used to happen here. Maybe it takes a certain number of pairs to create a quorum and encourage the others.